Dream Weaver
by Agent 2113
Summary: Mulder and Scully are sent to work with Dr. Charles Reigns. Will Scully make a fatal mistake?


Basement Office 7:02AM Mulder pulled the case file from under his arm where he was hoping to conceal it from his suspecting partner. She didn't fall for it. "Come on, Mulder. What does it say?" she asked impatiently. "If I tell you now it'll ruin the surprise." Mulder lied. She quickly reached over to grab the file from him. At the time, he wasn't looking and she swiped it right out of his hands. Scully scanned the folder quickly. "Skinner wants us to get information from Dr. Charles Reigns? The Doctor Charles Reigns?" Mulder nodded pathetically. He had hoped she wouldn't see it so he could return the file to Skinner. "But how is this an X-File?" "It's not, he wants Dr. Reigns to work with us on this whole, colonization thing." "Do you realize what this could do for us, Mulder? This man is one of the most respected pediatric doctors in the country." Mulder yawned. "Exactly. So why does he want to bother with us?" The question was left unanswered as they walked out the door. *** 8:56AM "He's really acting childish," she thought, as they boarded the plane. If he didn't like this guy, he could at least come out and say, Scully, I don't like this guy. Couldn't he? No, of course he couldn't. She had learned over the years that her loyal partner would do anything to protect her, even if it meant keeping his feelings secret. She also knew very well that Mulder was a man of many secrets. Which ones, she could not tell. Not that it really mattered. His secrets were his problem, but sometimes, on occasions where she was sitting alone by herself, she wondered what went through his mind that day outside of his apartment, when she had told him she was leaving him. 'You make me a whole person." He had said. Now that she thought about it, it wasn't the first, second, or third time this had crossed her mind. On several other occasions she had found herself engulfed in thought only of him. She had a special place in her heart that was reserved only for him. Her special smiles or looks were his alone too. As she was starting to see him as a half-decent person, she remembered the times they had argued over pointless things. Or the times she had found someone she was attracted to, such as the young sheriff in Dallas, and he had ridiculed her. These were the times she couldn't stand her partner, no matter how charming he was. These were the times she thought of taking off her panty-hose and strangling herself with them. So far, she had not had one of those incidents today. So far. She knew it would come, as it did everyday. The fleeting instant where she sometimes wanted to ask the man to marry her right then and there, leading to his slip-up, and finally to his childish acts to reconcile. "What exactly is this case about?" she asked him. "You know. The usual. Self-mutilation after a dream of that sort." "What." He showed her some pictures that suddenly appeared in his hand. She looked them over carefully. Each one was more gruesome than the next. "Would the two of you like anything for breakfast?" the flight attendant asked. Scully felt like she was about to throw up. Mulder laughed. "I think we'll pass." Scully looked at a picture of a small boy who had blood running from the empty sockets where his eyes were supposed to be. Her own eyes started to throb painfully. "These are all children, Mulder?" "Correct, and they all had dreams depicting them doing this to themselves before they actually did it." "So you think the dreams guided them into this act?" "Many people believe that dreams tell the future, Scully." "Yeah, well many people believe that they're going to win the lottery, but it rarely happens." "So then you're saying there is a chance?" "Of what?" "Of me being right. Of these children's dreams telling their future." "There's always a chance, Mulder." Mulder grinned at her. He would take any agreement he could get now-a-days. *** St. Joseph's Hospital/Pediatric Unit Lexington, Kentucky 10:58AM "I'm sorry, you'll have to wait. Dr. Reigns is in surgery right now." Mulder sighed. He was terribly unhappy at the least. He hated meeting people that he knew would ridicule him, and now, he had to wait for the man! Oh well! He started pacing back and forth, back and forth. "Mulder, stop that! You're making my head hurt." Scully scolded. He stopped pacing and sat down, his head resting in interlocked hands. Who knew? Maybe this meeting would turn out to be a pleasant one, like his first meeting with Scully. He had thought she was a very boring person (as he still did at times), and that she was sent to spy on him, but that was a different story. He was positive Dr. Reigns was not an attractive red-head who surprised him everyday with a new medical discovery. "I'm sorry to have kept you folks waiting. I've been in surgery for the past six hours." "That's okay, Doctor. We're glad you're here now." Oh brother! Here we go again! Sometimes Mulder wondered what went through Scully's head. She was always attracted to the weird ones! "Great, well, what am I supposed to be helping you with." He said, his dark hair flopping up. Mulder gave the man a stern look-over. He was about his height, with silky dark hair and bright blue eyes. He was a complex man of many looks and gestures. Mulder would have liked to say he had a reason, besides sheer jealousy, to hate this man, but he didn't. Not yet anyway. Mulder took out the pictures and shoved them to the man. "These children's wounds were self inflicted, right after they had a dream of doing this to themselves. Since you research pediatric sleep behavior, we thought you could help us out." "Well, well, well. This seems very strange. I don't think I've ever heard of a case like this before." "No. They're not common." Scully said, still gazing at the man. "Why don't you come into my office downstairs." He said, gesturing toward the elevator. "We have to.." Scully started. "Interview witnesses, family members, the whole ordeal, but you go ahead Scully, I can take care of it." Scully followed Dr. Reigns to the elevator as Mulder stepped out to do his interviewing. *** "I'm glad you agreed to stay, Agent Scully. There are some things I'd like to go over with you." Dr. Reigns looked Scully over. She wasn't the most attractive woman on earth, but someone he could definitely get used to. "What is your theory on the whole, "dreams tell the future", thing?" "Well, I dunno'. I guess if dreams do tell the future, I'm having one right now.." He moved in for the kill. He knew with the right mixture of suavity, charm, and good looks, he was irresistible, and he had combined all three in that sentence. Scully felt the doctor getting closer, and found herself not attempting to pull away. Why, she did not know. He was closer, almost an inch away. Moving in to kiss her. She didn't resist yet. His lips were almost touching hers. She still didn't move. Finally, he kissed her. It was nothing special. No emotion, no feelings what so ever passed through it. After it was over, the doctor still hovered near her, and Scully finally realized what had happened. Her fists were balled in anger and she knew the only way to release it was to.. Wack! The doctor felt a hard blow to the head as he began to move in again. "What do you think you're doing?" he asked. "What do you think you're doing, Dr. Reigns? If you'll excuse me, I'm going to go find my partner.." "I'm afraid not." He said, jumping in front of the door. "You're not going anywhere Agent Scully." *** Reigns Residence 11:00AM Mulder lightly knocked on the door. He had interviewed all of the witnesses, finding no proof that he was either right nor wrong. He was now attempting to do a single-handed background check on Charles Reigns. "Yes?" a stout woman asked. She was about ten years older than Charles and had an eerie glow to her. "Mrs. Reigns? I'm Agent Fox Mulder with the FBI. If you don't mind, I'd like to ask you a few questions about your husband." He said, showing her his badge. "Come in." Mulder walked into the quaint house. It reminded him of his mother's house when he was little for it smelled like cinnamon and lilac. "So, Mr. Mulder, what is it you would like to know about my ex-husband." Mulder noticed she was putting a lot of emphasis on the prefix ex, and he wondered if interviewing her was a good idea. "I was sent here on a case.." "Oh, I see. This is about Monica and Nancy and Sherry and God knows who else isn't it." "Huh?" "But you..don't you know about what happened?" "No." "Oh..well..never mind.." "Wait..what happened with Monica and Nancy and everyone else?" "Well, it all started a couple of years ago. Apparently Charles was tired of me and decided to try something new and fresh, so he started searching around until he had a whole line of women waiting outside the door.." "And..?" "Are you interested in hearing what I have to say, Agent Mulder?" "Sorry. Yes. Go on." "And after a while, he started getting tired of them, too. You see, Charlie was a man who loved challenges, so he went after the ones that were hard to get, that's where he got into trouble." She took a long pause, trying to regain her breath. "One day, this girl named Nancy wouldn't conform with him, so he drew his pocket knife and threatened her, what is known to you and me as rape, and he just kept on doing it." Nice husband, Mulder thought. He could see why she put such an emphasis on the ex. His eyes started to wander and fell on a photograph of a young red-headed girl in a beautiful silver frame. Oh God! Scully! He had left her alone with a psychotic rapist! "Would you like something to drink A.." "No. No thank you. Thanks for all your help." He said, rushing out the door. "What a peculiar young man." The woman said, scratching her head. *** Dr. Charles Reigns' Office 11:25AM Scully kicked and screamed. The man was holding her hands behind her back and had her feet tied. "Listen to me. Just do what I want you to and you won't get hurt. Understand?" Scully wriggled in complete disagreement and he twisted her arm back as far as it would go. "Okay, Red, you asked for it." He warned, pulling out a gun from his desk drawer. "I didn't want to do this, but.." The door slammed open. "Dr. Reigns, let her go now!" Mulder ordered, pointing his gun at the man. Dr. Reigns responded by twisting Scully's arm back further and pointing the gun at Mulder. "We were having a good time, Agent Mulder. You should have been there to join us." Mulder couldn't stand it. The thought of him hurting his beloved partner enraged him and he pulled the trigger of his gun after he had a clear shot on the man. Nothing happened. He tried again. The same results. "Did you forget something Agent Mulder?" he asked, holding six small bullets in his hand. Before Mulder could respond, Doctor Reigns thumbed the trigger of his black shiny gun, which was still pointed at Mulder, and pulled it. *** Mulder woke up. It was a dream, he thought, thank God it was a dream, but when he looked around, he didn't recognize any of his surroundings. He was not in his apartment, he was not in his office, he wasn't even at Scully's apartment, wait a minute, he was in the hospital! Now he knew it! The cool colors of the room, the soft humming of the heart monitor, the steady dripping of his IV bag, he had been injured, but where, and how? He couldn't remember, and where was the nurse, where was Scully? "Nurse. Nurse." He began to yell, attempting to get up. He now noted where the pain was. His right shoulder. Deciding getting up was a bad idea, he lay back down and shut up as a nurse came into his room. "You lay down, Agent Mulder, you need your rest." He decided not to struggle, but to ask questions. "Where's my partner, Dana Scully? I want to see her." "I'm afraid you can't see her." "What do you mean I can't see her? She's my partner, I.." "She's gone, Agent Mulder." Skinnner walked into the room. "Sir? What do you mean she's gone? You mean.." Mulder started to get the message. "After you were shot, she got away and tried to get you out, too, but Reigns shot her square in the heart before she ever had the chance. She died late last night of extreme blood loss. There was nothing anyone could do for her." Mulder couldn't, no, he wouldn't believe it. It wasn't true. His partner wasn't dead, he was having another dream, yeah, that was it, but as the long, painful stings of reality sank in, he began to realize it was true. He stuck his head in his hands, as sorrowful tears of regret, remorse, and guilt ran down his face. *** "Okay, I'll bite..what's up?" Mulder asked the serene man sitting in the corner of his room. He was trying to control his emotions by asking stupid questions. "Nothing..I'm just..thinking." "Thinking?" "About life..about death..you know." "And?" "And I was interrupted by you." Skinner was acting unusually grouchy. He didn't blame him. He had flown from Washington after hearing the news, and now he had to put up with Mulder. Mulder was, in fact, very grouchy. Sometime during the restless hour he had thought of just taking a sophisticated medical instrument and shoving it down his throat, but he knew Scully wouldn't want him to do that, and besides, if their really was Another World after this one, he knew he wouldn't be going to the same one as Scully. Certainly not. The door opened and a devastated Margaret Scully entered. Seeing the look on her face made Mulder fell even more somber. "Hello Fox." "Mrs. Scully. I'm very sorry about what happened to your daughter." She came over to his bedside and he reached up an gave her an emotion-filled hug, silently telling her all the things he felt, but couldn't say. *** 11:00PM Mulder turned over on the stiff hospital bed. After Mrs. Scully had left, he had wanted to talk to Skinner, but somehow, he had mysteriously disappeared, and didn't reappear until late that evening, in which it was much too late to ask questions, and he had told Mulder to get some rest. He stared at the clock on the wall. 11:02. He had been trying to go to sleep since ten, but hadn't managed, and knew he probably wouldn't even close his eyes the whole night. Visions of his partner haunted him. Earlier that day, he had been with her, complaining about the case, and now she was gone. Taken away from him when he wasn't looking. He must have been dreaming now because the door opened and a small red-headed woman entered. "Mulder", she said. "Mulder, wake up." He awoke from his sleep drenched with sweat, and saw the woman standing at his bedside. "Scully?" he asked. "Shhh. They'll here you. Mulder, can you walk?" "Yeah, but.." "Good. Then get up and follow me. We have to get out of this hospital." He followed his once-deceased partner out into the hall and spotted AD Skinner running toward them. "Mulder, I thought I told you to get some rest. Come back inside." "Don't listen to him," Scully warned. "It's a trap, Mulder. He's lying. That man is not your boss." "You saw it with your own two eyes, Mulder. She was dead. They zipped her up in a body bag and carried her away. That can't possibly be your partner." "You're right." Mulder said, following Skinner. Scully looked at him wide-eyed. As Mulder went in front of the man and into the room, he turned around and pointed a scalpel at his neck. He watched in awe as the man's face shifted from AD Skinner's, to Margaret Scully's, to the Nurse's, and finally to that of Dr. Reigns. *** Hundreds of people came rushing in toward Mulder and Scully from out of the woodwork. Before Mulder could stick the sharp object into the man's neck, two bulky men grabbed him from behind and shoved him forward. He resisted them to no avail, for they dragged him along the cold hospital floor. A few minutes later he saw two other men carrying Scully, who was putting up no fight what so ever. She glanced over at him, blood trickling from her lip, and silently told him what a bone-headed mistake he had made. He gave her a sorrowful, "I'm sorry" look, as they were shoved down the stairs. Finally, after what seemed like years of walking, they reached a small, dark storage room, and were tossed on the floor. "Okay folks, here's the deal. The two of you came here on a case assigned by your superior, and then came to visit me. Then you," he said, glancing at Scully. "refused my commands and basically spat in my face, and you, Agent Mulder, attempting to come to the rescue, messed up my whole plan. But I am a forgiving man." He continued, walking around the two agents. "And I am willing to make a compromise." Mulder looked up. This wasn't going to sound good. "I need some help with my research, some..test subjects, so I'm willing to have an exchange. An eye for an eye as you would call it." "And?" "I will spare your life, Agent Mulder, and in exchange, I will keep your partner here for my research." "Over my dead body!" "You said it, Agent Mulder." "No, no wait. What if I took her place?" Scully shot him an irritated glance. He was trying to protect her again, now with his own life! "Hmmm..interesting proposition, but no deal. I need a female." "Let him go." "What's that?" "I said let him go." Scully yelled, getting up. "I'll do it." "Scully, you can't.." he was cut of by her sorrowful look. He wanted to protest, but he knew it would do him no good. She had made up her mind. It was time for him to let her go. *** 1:56AM Scully jumped within the confines of her restraints. She was dreary and wanted so badly to sleep, but every five minutes another electrical shock would hit her like a freight train and she would be rudely awakened. She figured Mulder was out there somewhere, devising a plan, and maybe he was already atop his white horse to come to her rescue, but she doubted that. Even if he had come, and had managed to get by the hundreds of people that lined the hospital, he would make some stupid mistake and get both of them killed. Oddly enough, she would rather die by Mulder's side than be tied down in this chair, receiving manufactured brain waves. "Scully." whispered a dark figure from the doorway. "Mulder? Mulder, is that you?" she had never been so happy to see him in her life. He silently padded over to where she was tied, and undid her restraints. She reached up and hugged him. "Thank God, Mulder.." Her speech came to a pleasant halt as his mouth covered hers. She was surprised at this act, but not at all disappointed. After all, that was something she'd wanted him to do for a very, very long time. They separated, and as she gazed at him, she didn't see her partner. Sure, he looked like her partner, but he didn't *look* like her partner or act like him for that matter. She bent her hand down carefully, so he wouldn't notice, and slipped off her shoe. In one swift motion she brought the shoe with force to the back of his head. Good thing she had worn her high heels that day. The man lay there on the ground, as he should have, but something was wrong. Scully waited and waited, but there was no shape change, no green goo being secreted from the back of his head, just dark red blood that mixed well with the caliginous cloud of death that hovered over the room. *** Scully stared at the man on the ground, her bloody shoe in hand. What if it had been, Mulder? What if she had just killed her partner, best friend, and at sometimes, her attractant? She pushed the thoughts from her mind, after all, she was a relatively positive person. *** Cozy Stay Motel 2:15AM Mulder thought desperately about freeing Scully from that man who called himself a doctor. Actually, he was lounged on the floor of a skimpy hotel, but he was pondering different ideas. He was also pondering the idea that maybe it was too late, maybe she was already dead, or maybe (he didn't know why this thought crossed his mind), she was having a pleasurable time with Dr. Reigns. After all, she had been attracted to him, but that was a stupid thought, based mostly on jealousy and fear. Suddenly, he got on his feet. A disguise! That was it! He had gone under cover with someone's life on hand before, and he knew proper suspect negotiating techniques, so he figured it was a no fail plan, and besides, it was the only thing he had thought up in twenty-five strenuous minutes. He raced out in the hallway and pounded on the door of the room next to him. He had seen its inhabitant before and knew they were about the same size. "What do you think.." The man stopped when he saw Mulder's gun raised. "Don't panic, sir. I work for the FBI, and I need your help. "Sure, anything. What can I do for you?" "Do you have a clean business suit with you?" "Yeah, but don't you already have one?" "Don't ask too many questions." Mulder growled. He was getting impatient. "On second thought, let me go get it. You wait right here and I'll be back in a second." Mulder tapped his foot as the man went to get the suit. He returned with an attractive black one. "I was going to use it this weekend, but if you really need it.." "Sir, nowadays they give rewards for helping a government official, I'm sure you won't miss this suit." He said, snatching the clothing from the man and scurrying back to his room. *** Scully silently crept along the hospital corridor. She had left both of her shoes with the man so that she wouldn't make any noise, and she was now to the point of having to stop because her feet hurt so much. A little farther, and she would reach the stairs, where she knew there was an emergency fire escape. A little farther, just a little more.. Suddenly, she was grabbed from behind and thrust against the wall. "Not this time, Red." Warned an all to familiar voice. She turned and saw Charles Reigns, and the large heel print in his neck. *** Mulder walked up to the crowded hospital. As suspected, there was a guard posted at every entrance. "Excuse me? I was sent here to see a uh..doctor..Charles Reigns?" "Your name Jake?" "Yeah." "He's on the bottom floor." The guard said, stepping aside. Mulder walked into the hospital. For every guard posted outside, there was another inside. He saw a woman that had been walking through the halls earlier. Trying to hide his face, he walked by, but in reality, he didn't have to. He was very well disguised. Under the suit that was loaned to him, he wore a black turtle neck, on his feet, were a pair of black loafers, and on his head, were a pair of ray-ban sunglasses and a baseball cap. Mulder plodded down the stairs, making sure the sound of his loafers clicking on the floor could be heard by all. He came down to the basement hall and saw Scully shoved up against the wall by Reigns. For a moment, he thought about going over to him and breaking his head open, but he knew if he did that, his cover would be blown. He quietly pushed the sunglasses against his face and cleared his throat. "Mr. Jake Brisco I presume?" he asked, relinquishing his grip on Scully's throat. "You presume right." Mulder said in a harsh voice with a slight southern twang. "You shouldn't damage our subjects, Charlie." "No problem. You have some news from the boss?" "Yeah. There's been a change in plan, he wants to see how your work is coming along." "I've sent him test results and.." "First hand." "What does that mean?" "He wants me to take one of your subjects to him." "What? But I'm not done yet! She's the only one I have and I haven't even started giving her the treatments.." "Well, then, I'm sorry." Mulder said, pulling out his gun. Dr. Reigns looked at the FBI Standard Issue Sauer Six pistol. Wait a minute! The boss assigned 38's to everyone under him. "No, I'm sorry, Fox." Mulder jumped. How could he know? Scully brought her head up at the sound of her partner's first name. Was it him? Had he managed to get all the way down here? Oh well. It didn't matter now. Somehow, he had managed to mess up. For some unknown reason, Reigns changed into Mulder. "Too bad you don't have the complete disguise." Mulder pulled down his glasses with one hand. He felt like he was looking into a mirror. "I'm sure I could take your place, though." In Mulder's stunned state of paralysis, Reigns swiped his gun and turned it on its previous owner. Scully watched this act breathlessly. Why didn't Mulder do something? She knew it was now up to her to finish her rescue. Unannounced, she grabbed Reigns' head and brought it down to hers, kissing him. Reigns pulled the trigger and Mulder ducked. He didn't have to. The shot missed by about five feet. Scully's plan had worked. In an instant, Scully grabbed the gun from his hand, tossed it to Mulder, and slammed Reigns against the wall, his back to her. "Charles Reigns, you're under arrest for attempted murder, assault, battery, and resisting arrest. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say or do, can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be appointed to you.." Scully stated, putting the man's hands in the cuffs that Mulder had handed to her. *** Mulder and Scully walked side by side in the park. Reigns and almost all of his accomplices had been arrested, Skinner had commended them on their good work, and they both had made it out alive. All was right with the world. But there was that burning question.. "Hey, Scully?" "Yeah?" she asked, throwing him a curious glance. "I was just wonderin', when you..uh.., when you kissed Reigns, did it, uh, help that he looked like me?" "Maybe." Scully said playfully. "So there's a chance?" Mulder grinned. Scully chuckled. She remembered this conversation from before. "There's always a chance, Mulder." 


End file.
